Family
by The Halfa Wannabe
Summary: The Titans are a family, but one still feels like an orphan. Will a picture from the past reveal something nobody would have guessed. Or will it destroy him.
1. Chapter 1

Darkness engulfed the main room of Titan Tower.

Night had fallen hours ago, and most of the team was sleeping soundly in their beds. But one was unable to find sleep this night.

He sat quietly staring at the small picture frame he held in his hand.

"Hey Mom, It's me again. So much has happened and I just felt like telling you. I'm sure you already know, but a couple of days ago the world ended. Yeah, then why am I still here? I bet that's what you're asking. Real nasty dude named Trigon showed up. It was hard, we nearly lost a friend. But she came back, and kicked some major butt. Raven was awesome, she went to town on her father. Kicked his sorry self right out of our world. But what do we do now? We've beat an interdimensional demon. What do you do for an encore after that? I really feel sorry for Raven. She had to live with that thing as a part of her. And at the same time, I wish I could be a little like her. She's always in control, and I just can't do that. I can't rein myself in no matter what I try. I wish I knew how she did it."

"I had to."

Beastboy jumped in surprise as he turned and looked at the girl standing behind him. "Uhh, Hi, Raven. How long were you standing there?"

"Long enough. You think I'm so controlled, but it was never something I wanted to be. I never got the chance to just be a normal teen and hang out with my friends. I don't even know how."

"Yeah, well none of us really has the chance to be a normal teen. Star was a princess, Cyborg's mostly metal, and Robin, I think he lost who he was a long time ago. None of us know how to be normal."

Raven sat down on the couch next to him. "Why aren't you ever like this during the day? You're not acting like yourself."

"I don't know, I guess when we're hanging out, all this stuff ust kind of gets pushed to the side. Then when I can't sleep, here I am."

Raven looked down at the picture. She had no idea who the woman was. She hadn't been there when he had started talking.

The lights in the room abruptly turned on. The picture was much easier to see with the light on. She noticed wrinkles as though it was old and had been through a lot. "She's pretty, who is she?"

Beastboy stared at the picture for a moment. "My mom."

Raven saw the look on his face. He obviously needed someone to talk to. "Why don't you ever talk about your past?"

Beastboy looked over at her. "I, don't like to remember. After my parents died I did some bad stuff. I didn't want to, but they didn't give me a choice."

Raven saw a tear start to form. Her voice came out a whisper as she quietly asked, "What happened?"

"I was forced to be a thief. They kidnapped me from where I lived at the time and threatened me if I didn't help them. I was young and scared. I just didn't want to be hurt. Then, one night. They got into an argument and killed each other. I got out as fast as I could. Things kept drifting onward and I eventually hooked up with you guys. Still trying to make up for back then."

"It sounds rough, why didn't you just run?"

"I don't know. Maybe because I didn't know how to survive in a city. I really don't remember why I didn't go."

Raven took her attention away from her friend and looked back down at the picture. She noticed something she'd missed before. She looked at the arm that was draped around the woman's shoulder. The picture showed no other evidence of another person.

"Beastboy. Who's that?" She pointed to the arm that rested on his mother.

Beastboy looked down. "It's really old. I don't know much about it, but I do know it's my mom's sister. I never met her, I don't even know if she's alive."

"So this is your aunt? Can I see?"

Beastboy looked at her for a second before undoing a latch on the back of the picture frame. He unfolded the picture and looked at it a moment before handing it to Raven.

Her eyes slowly started to widen. It was a lot younger than when she'd last seen it, but there was no doubt in Raven's mind. She knew that face.

"Arella." 


	2. Chapter 2

(A/N) You're lucky you have me for an author. I paid a kid three bucks to get off the computer so I could post this.>>>

Beastboy raised an eyebrow in interest. "What was that?"

Raven pulled her hood over her face. "Nothing. I need to get some sleep. Good night."

She looked at the picture once more before handing it back to Beastboy.

He watched the receding figure, for a second he was lost in thought. "Pleasant dreams." He looked at the old photograph and refolded it before putting it back in it's frame.

Raven sat heavily on her bed. "It can't be. It's not possible."Another part of her mind argued against her.

"He said she was his aunt. He seemed pretty sure of it."

"But that's Arella. She can't be his aunt. She never had a sister."

"Just because it was never mentioned to you, doesn't mean there wasn't one."

"How can this have happened?"

"Why not ask Arella. If anyone has those answers, it would be her."

Raven's eyes started to glow as candles and everything she needed for the spell started to move toward one point in the room.

The ceremony was soon ready. Raven started to chant.

Raven was moving toward Azarath. With nothing trying to block her way she was soon standing in the middle of the towering city.

She started to walk.

She passed each building hoping to get a glance of Arella.

"MOTHER! I need to talk to you!"

A flurry of movement drew her attention to what was behind her.

The empty street stretched out behind her. She turned around slowly. Standing in the middle of the street was the white-clad figure of Arella.

"It is good to see you Raven. I was worried you would not realize that while his coming was inevitable, his victory was not. What do you need?"

Raven stared at her mother for a moment. "I, always thought I was alone, but earlier today, something happened. Mother, do you have a sister?"

Arella looked at her for a second. "I do. I have not seen her since before you were born."

Raven paled. Before she'd heard those words she couldn't believe it to be possible. "Then, it might be true. Why have I never met her? She's a part of our family, and I never even knew she existed."

"When we were young, my sister and I took a journey to Earth. It was a trip of pleasure, a holiday. But while we were there, Aleara met a man and fell in love. When we were supposed to come back, she decided to stay. I was happy for her, but at the same time sad. I knew that I would never see my sister again."

Raven was shocked to hear this. "Why not?" Arella looked sad. "Before we left, Aleara took sacred vows. By remaining on Earth, she broke them. The elders forbid us from talking of her. And we never did. You should tell him."

Raven was listening to Arella and pulled back as she said that. "What?"

"Take his hand and recite, Azee Zaran Victeen. If he is family, then a mark will appear on both of your wrists. From there, you're on your own. But if he is your cousin, please bring him here. I would like to meet him."

Raven nodded her head. "How did you know?"

"I might not have seen her, but I knew she had a son. And there would be no other way for you to know about my sister unless you had been talking to him. It's possible he is not, but I doubt it. The spell will tell for sure. It's time for you to go."

The next thing she knew, Raven was back in her room. The bright sunlight shone into her eyes. Almost automatically she caused the curtains to pull over the window.

She looked over at her clock to see that it was almost noon.

Black shadows covered her as she vanished from her room and reappeared in the main room of Titan Tower. All eyes turned to her in shock. They knew that she never did that unless there was an emergency. To see her doing it now obviously had them worried.

She directed her attention straight to Beastboy. "I need to talk to you. Come to my room." Shadows spread over her and she vanished again.

All eyes in the room turned on Beastboy.

"Did that really just happen?" Beastboy asked in confusion.

Everyone knew that Raven never told people to come to her room. For her to do so was inconceivable.

Cyborg abruptly grabbed him. "You little devil you. How long has this been going on?"

Beastboy in turn wriggled out of the steely grip. "Shut up! She's my friend, that's it."

Robin looked at him doubtfully. "Beastboy, she just asked you to come to her room. She's never done that with anyone."

"Cut it out, I told you, we're just friends." Beastboy got off the couch. "But if she's inviting me, into her room. It has to be important."

He abruptly jumped over the couch and headed toward the elevator.

Cyborg stared after him. "He's lying."

Robin looked over at him. "Yep."

Starfire looked doubtful. "I do not think so. Friend Raven seemed apprehensive, and friend Beastboy looked worried."

The three went on with their activities, even though all thoughts were on Beastboy and Raven.

FAMILY

He knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in."

Beastboy slid the door open and saw Raven sitting on the floor. "Please sit down." She gestured to the floor in front of her.

Beastboy did as he was told. "Uh, sure. Listen Raven"

"Remove your glove and take my hand."

"Raven, I don't know about you, but I don't"

"Do you trust me?"

Beastboy was startled by this question. "Of course I do. You're my friend."

"Then trust me now, and do as I say."

He stared at her for a second before removing his glove and taking her hand. "I'll always trust you."

Raven closed her eyes. "Azee Zaran Victeen"

Black energy surrounded their hands. It started to increase in size. As it spread, it turned a dazzling white. The light engulfed the room. Beastboy shut his eyes against it.

The light disappeared as quick as it had come. It was a couple of minutes before he was able to see normally again. The darkness of the room did little to help.

"What the heck was that?" His gaze finally focused on Raven.

"Check your wrist."

He looked at her curiously before rolling his sleeve up and staring at the small black glyph that made a startling contrast to his green skin.

He moved his head up and saw Raven revealing the same mark on her own wrist.

"What did you do?" The look of worry on his face was easily recognizable.

Raven got up and turned to her window. The curtains parted and she looked out over the bay. "The picture you had was very disturbing for me. I had to find out the truth."

"Uh, Raven, you're scaring me."

"The other woman in the picture is named Arella."

Beastboy stared at her back. "It is? How do you know that?"

Raven turned to face him. He couldn't make out the emotions that were obvious in her face.

"She's my mother."

(A/N) For my own reference, how many BBRAE fans now officially hate me?


	3. Chapter 3

Beastboy walked silently into the main room of the tower.

His normally bright green complexion was a pale reflection of it's former shade.

He walked over to the couch and dropped onto it like a leaden weight.

Cyborg stared at him for a moment. "So Romeo, how are things with your girl?"

Beastboy turned his head in a manner that creeped Cyborg out. He reached up and pulled the larger teen down to him. "Never, joke about that, again."

Starfire floated close to her small green friend. "Friend Beastboy, are you well?"

"Not so much Star. Raven is," His mouth kept opening and closing with no words coming out. "I can't even say it."

Robin smiled as he walked by. "I knew it would happen."

Raven floated into the room. "I highly doubt that Robin. You have no idea what's going on."

"Raven, you invited him to your room. You never do that."

"Come on Rae, you know you like him." Cyborg smiled wickedly.

A hand reached up and pulled him down again. "I told you not to joke about that. It's not funny." Beastboy started to sweat. "I need to go lie down."

He caught sight of Raven as he stood up. His face grew paler as he hurried out of the room.

Robin glanced at Raven. "What did you do to him?"

She dropped into her regular seat and looked at each of them. "He's having trouble with something I told him. I'm having trouble with it, but not as much as he is."

Cyborg stared at her. "I knew you cared for him."

"I do, he's my friend, but nothing like what you're suggesting. We were talking last night and he showed me a picture of his mom. Her sister was in the picture as well. She was my mother."

Raven actually fidgeted before saying, "Beastboy's my cousin."

"Uh, what?" Cyborg looked like he was having a mental meltdown. "You're cousins? Are you sure?"

Raven bared her wrist and showed the mark to the other Titans. "I cast a spell. If two people are from the same bloodline. It will leave a mark on each of their wrists. Beastboy now wears the same mark."

Robin looked at her for a moment. "This isn't right. You and Beastboy are related. That's pretty far-fetched."

"Like I said, we are both having trouble with this, him more than me, but it will take time for both of us get used to it."

Robin looked worried. "He doesn't seem to be holding up well. Someone should speak to him."

"I'll go, We are family." Raven froze for a moment. "It feels strange to say that. The only family I had left was Trigon. Then when he's gone, I find out about this."

"Yo Rae, I don't think you should go. Finding out he's related to you is what's done this. I really don't think you're the person he needs right now."

"Then who else? Is there anyone else who's been in a situation like this? The last thing I knew, my last living relative was pure evil. As far as he knew, he had no family in the world. Do any of you know what we're going through? NO! We were alone in the world. He is the only person on the planet that looks like that! I'm the last of my people! Or, at least I thought I was. You all have places where you've fit in. Neither of us has ever been able to live a normal life. but at least now we have family."

Robin drew back from the angered girl. "Raven, I understand what you're saying, but listen to me. Beastboy isn't handling this well. He had family he never knew about, a cousin who's one of his best friends. Did you see the way he reacted when he saw you? He isn't ready for this. And forcing your presence on him isn't going to help things. I say we send Starfire."

"Why Star, man? I'll go talk to him." Cyborg started to get off the couch.

"No. We have to face it. Nobody on the team is good with this kind of thing. Nobody except Starfire that is. Right now she's the best choice." Robin turned to face her. "Would you please talk to Beastboy?"

"Of course, I am also worried for our friend. He does not seem himself."

Starfire floated to the elevator and went to the floor above them.

She knocked lightly on his door. "Friend Beastboy?" "Go away Star."

"Please do not do this. We are, worried."

"I need to be alone right now." The voice from the other end of the door seemed weary, something Starfire never associated with her energetic friend. "Friend Raven has told us of what transpired."

No sound came from the other side of the door. It was several long minutes before anything was said. "Come in."

Starfire slid the door slowly open onto the mess that was Beastboy's room. Her eyes scanned for any threats that might live in the room, but found nothing. Her eyes drifted over to the bed and stared at the small boy laying there.

Starfire had never thought of her friend as fragile, but seeing him like this made her realize there was more to her friend than she knew. "Beastboy, will you be, the okay?"

His body remained in the same position as he answered her. "I don't know."

"Is it not good that friend Raven is a member of your family?" Starfire's voice showed deep worry for her friend.

"No, yes, I don't know." Beastboy rose from his bed and turned to face her. "I don't have family, I haven't had a family since my parents died. And then there's this." He dropped his head in depression. "It just doesn't feel right."

Starfire placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are not we a family? I know that it is, different, but we protect each other. We take care of our friends. We trust each other when we cannot even trust ourselves. We are a family, and Raven was already family, was she not?"

"I. Don't take this the wrong way, but we're not. We're friends, and a team, but I don't know how to be part of a family. I don't know if I can do this."

Starfire sat down carefully on his bed. "Then perhaps it would be best, to continue thinking of her as a friend. Do not try to force these feelings of family, let them come in their own time."

Beastboy got up from the lower half of his bed and went toward the window. "I guess. Thanks Star, tell the others I'm going flying. I need to clear my head."

He slid the window open and jumped out. 


	4. Chapter 4

Raven was staring out the window of the main room when she saw the body fall. Her eyes opened in shock then horror as she realized the form was green. The window shattered as she summoned her power.

"AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!"

A black sphere of energy engulfed the shape-shifter before he was able to change. He was slowly pulled from his position halfway down the tower, all the way up into the main room. Raven looked like she was about to cry. "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT! IS BEING MY COUSIN THAT HORRIBLE? I just found out that I'm not alone and you were going to take that away already."

Beastboy looked confused for a second before he realized what it had looked like. "Raven, RAVEN! Listen to me. It wasn't like that. I was just going flying, I just needed to clear my head, get out of the tower for a while. I'm not that kind of person. I'm not going to make that kind of mistake."

Starfire interrupted the scene as she walked into the room. "Friend Beastboy? Have you decided to deliver the message of your flight in, the person?"

He looked over at Starfire. "Don't worry about it. I've got it covered." He turned his attention back to Raven. "It's okay. I just needed time to think. I wasn't going to do anything stupid."

Raven turned to him. She quickly returned to her rather stoic nature. "I'm sorry. I overreacted. I saw you falling and assumed the worst."

The black sphere disappated leaving him standing in the middle of the main room. Beastboy looked rather uncomfortable. He then did something that only one other Titan would dare to do. He walked over to Raven and hugged her. "It's okay, There's nothing wrong with worrying about," Beastboy's mouth stopped working for a second. "Your family. It's natural." Beastboy quickly retreated expecting a bit of pain for initiating the hug. He received quite a shock instead of the pain.

"Thanks. Excuse me." Raven started the walk to her room. Beastboy watched her move silently away from the other Titans.

Raven walked out of the room. Shadows engulfed her and she was deposited in her room.

Beastboy knew what he had to do. She might have appeared calm, but he knew that Raven needed him right now. His body shifted into that of a green eagle. He soared through the window and into his room. In less than a second he'd returned to his human form. He opened his door and walked down the hall.

Raven started when she heard the light knock at her door. "Raven? Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine Beastboy. I just need to be alone. Please go." Raven settled onto her bed and laid back. She closed her eyes in thought.

"No." The voice from the other side of the door was filled with a steely resolve. "Being alone isn't the answer. We have to get through this together. It's what family is for."

Raven noticed that for the first time he hadn't hesitated. He'd said she was family without interruption. A black aura surrounded the door before sliding it open. "The last."

Beastboy settled on the edge of her bed. "What was that?"

"I said, the last. You and I are the last children of Azarath. The last of our world. What our the chances of that? That we, the last of our kind would end up on the Teen Titans. Especially when you had no idea what you were."

"Does it matter?" Raven looked over at him. "I mean, whatever the chances are, they don't matter. Because it's already happened. We're here. That's all there is to it."

"I guess, but it still doesn't make much sense. I'm still trying to get used the fact not only do I have a cousin, but that my cousin is one of my friends and that he ended up with such a powerful gift."

"Yeah, like becoming a freak is such a great gift."

Raven couldn't ignore the bitterness in his voice. Raven sat up and put a hand on his shoulder. "You're not a freak Beastboy. I know that your life hasn't been easy. You're so different that you've never felt accepted. It's something that we have in common. But we are. The others accept us for who we are. They always have." A small chuckle escaped from Raven. "But I'm not sure how well they'll adjust to this."

Beastboy smiled. "Yeah, did you see the look on Cy's face? I bet the only way he's dealing is by not thinking about it." Beastboy's smile disappeared as he thought. "What was Azarath like?"

Raven looked at him. "It was beautiful. Our people were deeply spiritual. We studied the ways of the universe, eventually it led to the beginning of our magic."

"Wait, I thought your power came from Trigon."

"Most of it did, but it also enhanced the power of my Azarathian magic. My empathic abilities are incredibly strong. It also increased my power to heal. Those were talents that came from my mother, but with the power of Trigon running through me it made them much stronger than they would have been."

"What was that first one you mentioned, emphatic?"

"Not emphatic, empathic. It means I feel other people's emotions. I don't have total control, but I can keep it suppressed most of the time."

"What happens if you lose control?"

"I start to pull in the emotions around me. They feed through my powers and cause me to lose control just like if I lost control over my own emotions."

"But why do you have to control them, Trigon's gone. You sent him packing."

"I know, but I'm still half demon. No matter what happens to Trigon, I still have to keep control. That part of me is still dangerous. It's what you saw when I attacked Dr. Light. That creature might have looked like my father, but it wasn't. That was all me."

Beastboy leaned over and hugged her. "It's okay. I'm here for you."

Tears started to shine in her eyes. "There's nothing I can do. It's always there, just beneath the surface. It's waiting for it's chance to take control. It's evil, pure undiluted evil. I just wish I could get rid of it, that I could be..." Raven looked up and her eyes dried. "Beastboy, please leave. I have something I need to do."

He drew back and looked into her eyes. "Will you be okay?"

He saw a wide smile appear on her face. "I think I will, I think I'll be just fine." 


End file.
